Carrying signs proclaiming
"Peace" and "Unity," a coalition of churches and Catholic schools formed
human chains around two Southwest Side mosques Friday, standing watch outside
as their Muslim neighbors inside bowed in prayer.

Thousands of Muslims gather at community
mosques across the country each Friday for jumma prayers. But three days
after Tuesday's terrorist attacks, the prayers this week carried a sense
of unease.

Mosques and Islamic institutions
have been vandalized in the days after terrorist attacks in New York and
Washington, and Muslims have faced harassment and even violence.

Fearing for their congregation's
safety, a few mosques across the country decided to close Friday. Officials
at the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview seriously considered it after nightly
confrontations with protesters.

In the end, Chicago Muslims kept
their prayer halls open.

At the Bridgeview mosque, knots of
police officers stood outside the building while dozens more stood guard
in a nearby parking lot. There were 15 police officers outside the Muslim
Community Center on North Elston Avenue, and security guards checked packages.

At the Chicago Islamic Center and
Al-Salaam Mosque, both on 63rd Street, about 100 members of the Southwest
Organizing Project, a neighborhood coalition of 25 churches, schools and
mosques, stood outside with members of the Southwest Youth Collaborative,
a community youth organization.

Protestants and Catholics, whites,
blacks and Hispanics carried signs with the Muslim greeting, "Peace Be
Upon You, Assalam Alaikum," and "Christians, Jews and Others Support Our
Muslim and Arab Brothers and Sisters."

"Our community is racially diverse,
and we thought we had to show support for our brothers and sisters," said
Rev. William Lego of St. Rita of Cascia parish. "It's also a deterrent
for somebody who is thinking of doing something. They would see so many
people with signs and would have to think twice."

Their Muslim friends were grateful.

"I feel that they feel with us,"
said Hatem Fariz, president of the Chicago Islamic Center. "We are Muslims,
but we had nothing to do with this deplorable act. Our Islam doesn't permit
this."

In Bridgeview, the muezzin's call
to prayer drew more than 500 Muslims, some driving taxis, others in their
Mercedeses.

Imam Jamal Said's sermon before the
prayer echoed that of other imams.

"Our hearts are full of pain and
grief due to the tragic incidents," he said. "To those who committed the
terrible act, they will never get away with what they have done. They think
they will get away in this life, but they will never get away in the hereafter."

At the Islamic Foundation in Villa
Park, where American flags snapped in the crisp wind, about 250 people
gathered for an interfaith service in a basement banquet room after the
Friday prayer.

They heard prayers and words of support
from Episcopalian, Methodist, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim leaders, as well
as Rev. Jesse Jackson.

"If Muslim worshippers feel they
must create a human chain to protect their mosques, then Jews are prepared
to leave our homes and synagogues to stand with you," said Rabbi Ira Youdovin,
executive vice president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis.